Appendage Development (was Midnight Thunder)
- To: <S*@yahoogroups.com>
- Subject: [SpaceAgeRobin] Appendage Development (was Midnight Thunder)
- From: "* O* <i*@msn.com>
- Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2004 12:53:57 -0700
- References: <coa3g3+dv9j@eGroups.com>
- Seal-send-time: Sat, 27 Nov 2004 12:53:58 -0700
|
Chris, I looked up the sinister MIDNIGHT THUNDER posted by Dana. Yes,
those appendages are creepy looking. Just to let you know, DOCTOR NO,
CORAL POINT, and even MESMERIZER, along with many others I cannot just now
recall, have given me appendages that are similar to Dana's MT.
There are two separate issues going on with Dana's MT that are the cause of
the variation you were questioning.
One, is that genetics sometimes creates double appendages. The double
appendages have been noted on many space agers from time to time. Attached
is a picture I took of PRAETORIAN GUARD in Tucson this last
spring. I had to physically open up the petals to shoot the appendage,
so that is why my thumb is in the picture. The other shot is a double
flounce this past spring on Mesmerizer.
The second issue I think is maturity. It is my humble opinion that
the variation in the appendage form has got to do with maturity. A
flower that has cool enough temperature to develop before opening up fully
usually has better form than one that opens quickly due to warmth. I look
at these variations of appendage forms and think the flower opened up
before the appendage was fully mature. Lack of moisture/nutrients could also
play a part, but not a very big one I don't think. I feel it has to do
with how much time the flower had to mature prior to and during opening
up. When there are double appendages, perhaps the two get half the
nutrients needed and don't form fully?
When a bloom usually displays a big flounce like MESMERIZER, you have to
wonder when it displays horns or spoons instead. It is like the appendage
didn't have time to turn into a full flounce prior to the bloom opening
up.
It would be interesting if someone did a study on blooms at
different stages of bud development to see how exactly the appendages
develop. Do all flounces start off as horns first, or is the
appendage fully formed as a flounce from the get-go, and just grows
bigger.
Maybe Bruce Filardi knows someone who can or has researched this and
would write an article for the Bulletin about it. I am sure my opinions on
this aren't the only ones out there, and it would be nice to have some
scientific evidence that would explain the appendage variations once and for
all. Opinions are great, and they get our minds working, but if
the appendage development is something science can unveil that can be
controlled, then we can take that knowledge and use it to get the most out of
the bloom. For instance, if all it takes is a teaspoon of Epsom salts
dug into the soil around the rhizome just as a stalk emerges in order to get
fully developed appendages, we could utilize that knowledge and have fully
formed flounces consistently on every flower. However, my feeling is that
it is not going to be quite that simple.
Patrick Orr
Phoenix, AZ Zone 9
USA
Yahoo! Groups Links
|
- Follow-Ups:
- Re: Appendage Development (was Midnight Thunder)
- From: "Christopher Darlington" <chris.darlington@sympatico.ca>
- Re: Appendage Development (was Midnight Thunder)
- References:
- Re: Midnight Thunder and other rebloom
- From: "Christopher Darlington" <chris.darlington@sympatico.ca>
- Re: Midnight Thunder and other rebloom
- Prev by Date: Re: Midnight Thunder and other rebloom
- Next by Date: Seedling Beds
- Previous by thread: Re: Midnight Thunder and other rebloom
- Next by thread: Re: Appendage Development (was Midnight Thunder)